Closure for bungholes



July ll, 1950 v. ALVEAR CLOSURE FOR BUNG HOLES Filed Dec. 6, 1947 FREE INVENTOR.

COATING Patented July 11, :1950

. V i ,`2,'514,8z7

CLOSURE FOR BUNGHOLES Victor Alvear, Clifton, N. J. I'

Application December c, 1947, yserial No. 790,108

3 claims. (CL 217-98) My inventionrelates to devices to be used to close `vthe filling bung holes` especially of beer barrels orkegsfwhich are subjectnot only to normal liquid and gas pressures.) butalso to changes in temperature and to sudden shocks.

Theobject is toprovide an eiective closure of simple and inexpensive form which can bereadily vapplied andreadily removed. v i l 1 Another object is to provide a closure which will be effective and reliable even when subjected to a wide range of temperature changes.

It is of the type of my former Patent 2,325,356

but is capable of withstanding much greater changes in pressureand is more effective and adaptable to irregularities in bung holes and in the dimension of the closure itself.

For this purpose, the closure has a cup-like sheet metal body having a flaring rim and closed at the bottom. This has a'depressed central portion to which a non-metallic cup is attached.

This cup has an elastic and compressible side wall embracing the side wall of the body but not attached to it. This closure is adapted to be driven into a tapered bung hole and frictionally wedged therein. .When it is desired to remove the closure it is merely necessary to puncture the bottom of it and insert in the opening thus formed a tool for extracting the closure.v

Fig. 1 is an edge view and partial section of the main steel cup-like closure member on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 2 is an edge view and partial section of the packing or gasket member used with the closure member of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an edge View and partial section showing the two members of Figs. 1 and 2 assembled and ready for use.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the closure of Fig, 3 installed in the bung hole of a barrel and showing in dotted lines the relation of the closure as it is being inserted into the bung hole.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing on a still larger scale a fragment of a closure.

The body I of the closure consists of a drawn steel cup having a tapered side wall II and a resilient bottom having a central depressed portion I2 surrounded by an annular platform I3 which connects the central portion with the side wall. The upper edge I4 is flared outwardly.

The covering, packing or gasket I has a side wall I6 and is formed to flt the center, bottom and side wall of the closure body. This covering is water and gas tight and somewhat elastic and is cemented in any suitable manner to the bottom of the depressed center I2 of the closure body 2 and is preferablyfree from or platform I3 and side wall II.` M K The barrel has a circular bung hole I-'I-finfa metal portion I8, thewall I9 of which is conically tapered slightly inwardly at a small anglev for `instance tapering from 1% inches atthe entrance to 1% inches at the inside, the wall being alittle more than 1 inch thick.

The side walls of the closure body and of the packing are inclined at substantially the same angle as the taper of the wall I9 of the bung hole and the diameters are such that the closure will seat at the approximate center of the side wall of the bung hole, the flange I4 touching the wall I9 and the wall of the packing I5 being compressed between the walls II and I-E.

The closure body I0 is formed preferably of sheet steel about .014 inch thick and at its bottom is resilient, being offset or depressed about .010 inch so that when the closure is forced into the bung hole the bottom is/ sprung downwardly and its outer diameter contracted slightly. When the pressure on the closure is released, the bottom springs back and increases the compression of the side wall I6 of the packing, the action being somewhat like a toggle.

The friction due to forcing the closure into the bung hole draws the side wall I6 of the packing upwardly so that the material is stretched from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4. This stretching action is made possible by reason of theelasticity of the material and the fact that it is; not secured to the bottom of the platform I3 nor to the side wall II.

To facilitate this compression and stretching, I prefer to form the packing piece from a composite material having a layer 2l! of compressible pulp board covered with a layer 2| of paper and an outer film 22 of elastic rubber-like material which is water and gas tight and unaffected by the substance contained in the barrel. This packing may conveniently be .025 inch thick.

It will be understood that the packing I5 and the body Ill of the closure may be formed separately or connected together and drawn into cup-shape in one or more operations.

The ange I 4- grips the side wall of the bung hole tightly and the packing material seals the closure both from within and from without.

When the closure is in place, it has been found that it will withstand much greater pressure than a, barrel is subjected to even in hot weather and even when a barrel is dropped or struck with a mallet.

This strange resistance to outward stress is serted through the opening thus formed. The Y gas pressure being relieved, it is quite easy to withdraw the closure.

I claim;

1. A bung hole closure comprising-' drawn steel cup body having an inclined side wall flared`r outwardly at its rim and having a clo'sed 'central depressed portion surrounded by ah 'annular' por-- tion and an elastic packing cup cementedto the depressed central dportion of the body biit 4 pressible inner layer and an elastic water and gas-proof outer film, the inner layer of the fabric being cemented to the central portion of the bottom of the steel cup and its side wall embracing the outer wall of the steel cup but left unattached and free to be drawn along the Wall of the cup when the closure is forced into a bung hole having a tapered side wall.

l 3. AV closure as set forth Ain 4claim 1 in which the elastici-' packing cup' is formed of af composite material having a layer f 'coiiri'pressible pulp board covered with paper and an outer fllm of "elastic, rubber-like material which is water and gab; tight? VICTOR ALVEAR.

REFERENCES CITED wfflhehfollowing references are of record in the fil patent: 

